For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

A statement which occurs repeatedly in the Bible is that God created all things for the ske of his own glory. A few days ago somebody posted a comment in relation to another post, in which he made it clear that he did not appreciate the idea that God might be prepared to allow suffering in order to further his own glory. Nevertheless, if to glorify himself is God’s major concern (Matt 5.16, John 17.1, Romans 15.9 and Rev 15.4 are some of the pssages which suggest that it is), we have no reason to suppose that our lives will be free of suffering.

We are here to serve God, and as difficult as it may be, we must accept whatever he sends; whether that be suffering, release from suffering, or even ease and comfort. The problem with that last one is, of course, that it is the one most likely to lead to complacency and our neglect of God. It is unlikely to be a coincidence that Christianity is growing rapidly in Africa and Asia, whilst declining in the materially prosperous West. That ease and comfort should lead to a neglect of our duty to worship and glorify God is, perhaps, an indication of just how far mankind has fallen.